Is America an empire? Timothy Parson's introduction to "Rules of Empires" can make one believe yes. He references the 2001 terrorist attacks as America's reason for imperial power.
He defines empire as a "formal, direct, and authoritarian rule of one group of people over another. It is born of the attempt to leverage military advantage for profit" (9). Imperialism he says is "exploitation linked to global spread of capitalism... an attempt to use hard power to reorder and transform a conquered society."
In modern times, to conquer a peoples involves making them less human. It is the western assumption, with the media's portrayal, that those who are different are backwards and not as advanced. Racial differences are exploited.
The development of nationalism has helped ending the spreading of empires and imperial rule. But is that changing? Perhaps America is the "New Roman Empire," but will she suffer the same fate?
Having read classics such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Kojiki, and Nihon Shoki, I personally do not believe America is alone in the entirety if it falls under the category of an empire.
ReplyDeleteI personally deny such notion "those who are different are backwards and not as advanced," being limited to Western barbarianism. While the most infamous incident in regards to such barbarian methods in the 20th century involve Third Reich Germany, and English rule over India, attempted advances of empire building and securing from Hirohito's Japan, Stalin ruled Russia, and Maoist China attempted to subjugate other nations. Although not all of these meet the ideal "evil empire" that prescribes to use of capitalism to profit, tools such as murder and silence garnered control and progress of nation building.
Propaganda from these countries during the times these countries had their system of reign portrayed their enemies, the West, as brutal, sinful-by-nature, subhuman, demons, monsters, thieves, looters, murderers, or ghosts that will stop at nothing to take for themselves.
While we discuss the subject of America as an empire, it serves to be most appropriate then to view the rest of the world through the lenses of empires.
In page 7, the author discusses Napoleon Bonaparte's vision of France. He paints a somewhat light heartened and non-foreboding view of an empire ruled through "liberty, equality, fraternity" (7). Application of this empire required donation, services, and pledge to the nation and military. This immediately buries any positive outlook for building an ideal empire.
Does this mean that America stands an empire? The country itself is a republic. To liken it to an empire suggests that the Founding Fathers failed in their path to set out this country as different from all others in terms of governance.
We covered some of this in our class discussion, but I think it is worth emphasizing that, at least in Rome's case, republican government and empire building managed to work hand in hand. Whatever empire is, it clearly is not exclusively a single mode of political governance headed by an emperor.
DeleteI think America definitely tries, if only subconsciously, to Americanize the foreign peoples. To many outsiders, or nationalists of the countries American visit, this looks a lot like dehumanizing. America is one of a mere few countries who's citizens place little on national pride and while simultaneously expecting other people groups to adapt to suit American needs. Based on Parsons definition of Imperialism and Empire, unfortunately I think America falls under Imperialism. My question is how we got there, and whether we want to stay.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I wonder what exactly you mean when you say that American citizens "place little on national pride." I think I might have said that Americans are amongst the very most prideful people in the world when it comes to national identity.
DeleteI believe that whether we like to admit it or not, America is an empire. It may not be an empire in a traditional sense but it is a modern empire. An empire for the modern age. I had a teacher who firmly believed that America was the "New Roman Empire", and he was very adamant in telling us that if we do not do anything to change this course of action then naturally we must fall too. Its scary to think that but its also hard to not wonder if that can actually be true.
ReplyDeleteIs there any evidence that would contradict this viewpoint of America's empire-building aspirations? It intrigues me that no one has offered much in this blog post or in any of our discussions.
DeleteI think it is clear that Parsons does view the United States as an empire, but, as we have seen, he is also very concerned that we don't stop at merely applying a label that may or may not be adequate. He is particularly concerned that we understand that there is no such thing (in his view) as a "liberal progressive empire" and that the empire building urge must therefore be resisted. Whether this is accurate or not remains to be seen.
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